UK University and ACCA Offer Free Business Course to People of Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A new initiative, due to launch in September, will allow anyone in Hong Kong or anywhere in the world to study business for free at a renowned UK university, thanks to a collaboration between global accountancy body ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the University of Exeter Business School and online learning platform FutureLearn.

Together, they are launching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) — Discovering Business in Society — which is free to study and open to anyone in the world with access to the internet. The aim of the eight–week course is to give anyone interested in learning the principles of business, including prospective undergraduate students, working professionals without a background in business, people looking to return to work after an absence, or anyone seeking to further educate themselves. And for those interested in entering the finance profession and seeking a route to ACCA membership, the MOOC can be a starting point.

Jane Cheng, head of ACCA Hong Kong, said: "The whole point of this MOOC is that it is all encompassing. Yes, it can be a way for someone looking to begin their journey into the finance profession with ACCA, but equally it could be useful to anyone in Hong Kong or any other country seeking to start a business to get a better understanding of what’s involved, or a parent looking to return to work with a new set of skills. It’s not unusual today for those people already in work to look to change career, and this gives them a taster of what it might be like in a business environment. It’s open to anyone, anywhere, of any age who wants to do it.

"Because it is entirely online, anyone in the world with access to the internet can study it, even though it is delivered by a prestigious UK university. Even if those who study it choose not to use it to further their careers or become entrepreneurs they will have a deeper understanding of how business is relevant in society."

The Discovering Business in Society MOOC will cover a range of topics, including:

Purpose and types of business organisation

The changing world of business

Environmental and regulatory factors

Economic factors

Internal organisation and governance

First steps to accountancy

For those who complete the course and choose to take the optional assessment at the end of the course, which does have a fee attached to it, it could be the first step on the ladder to becoming a qualified ACCA accountant.

Those who are successful in completing the optional examinations can claim exemption from the ACCA F1 paper, Accountant in Business.

Clare Minchington, ACCA Executive Director, said: "The option is there to get that first part of the ACCA qualification under your belt should you decide a career in accountancy is for you. However, we didn’t launch the MOOC just to give people the opportunity to study our globally recognised qualification. Those who study it are under no obligation to take the examination at the end. When we say it is open to all, we don’t just mean those looking to become ACCA accountants. Our ethos has always been open access and this MOOC is testament to that thinking."

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

We support our 170,000 members and 436,000 students in 180 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of 91 offices and centres and more than 8,500 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

As the first global accountancy body entering into China, ACCA now has over 23,000 members and 48,000 students, with 8 offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shenyang, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accounting professionals bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.